Horse facility bill lapses into law
By CHARLES S. JOHNSON
Gazette State Bureau
HELENA - A controversial bill encouraging the construction of horse slaughterhouses in Montana and restricting legal challenges to such facilities became law Friday without Gov. Brian Schweitzer's signature.
Schweitzer refused to sign or veto the bill. Under the Montana Constitution, a bill automatically becomes law 10 days after the governor receives it, if he does not sign or veto it.
"The governor made his opinion on this bill known; the Legislature did the same," said Schweitzer's spokeswoman, Sarah Elliott. "No action was taken, and the bill has now become law."
Elliott was referring to Schweitzer's failed attempt to get the Legislature to amend House Bill 418, by Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred. Schweitzer asked lawmakers in early April to remove major provisions aimed at limiting legal challenges to slaughterhouses' operating permits.
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The possibility of opening a horse processing facility in the United States is one step closer to reality because of a bill that became law in Montana over the weekend. The new law will afford some extra protections to anyone that would like to build a facility. Unwanted horses numbers seem to continue rising and because they now have to leave the country in order to be harvested, the problem seems to be snowballing. Hopefully Congress will be willing to allow states to deal with this problem without interfering.
Showing posts with label Montana HB 418. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Montana HB 418. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
MD & MT Move Closer to Building Horse Facilities
Schweitzer's horse slaughter changes rejected by MT Senate
Posted: April 16, 2009 05:17 PM MDT
The bill to authorize investor owned livestock slaughter and processing plants in the state made its way back to the Montana Legislature on Thursday.
Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer sent the bill back to lawmakers earlier this month after striking the legal protections it would have offered to slaughterhouses.
The House has already rejected the changes the Governor made to House Bill 418, and today the Senate did the same by a vote of 44 to 5.
The bill will now go back to Governor Schweitzer in its original form. Read More
Study of ND horse slaughterhouse approved
Apr 16 2009 10:02AM
Associated PressEds
Bismarck, N.D. (AP) North Dakota lawmakers have agreed to spend $50,000 on a study of whether a horse slaughterhouse can be built in the state.
The bill says North Dakota's Commerce Department should study whether legal and regulatory barriers now prevent construction of a horse slaughter plant.
If the project can be done, the study would look into how much a plant would cost and potential markets for its meat.North Dakota's House voted 86-5 on Thursday to approve the study. The bill now goes to Gov. John Hoeven. Link
Both Montana and North Dakota keep moving closer to the possibility of having a horse processing facility in their state. Many states have been trying to deal with this issue since the beginning of the year. Unwanted horses continue to be a problem for communities and states that don’t have the resources to handle them. Hopefully, instead of wasting this natural resource we can once again begin to use it.
Posted: April 16, 2009 05:17 PM MDT
The bill to authorize investor owned livestock slaughter and processing plants in the state made its way back to the Montana Legislature on Thursday.
Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer sent the bill back to lawmakers earlier this month after striking the legal protections it would have offered to slaughterhouses.
The House has already rejected the changes the Governor made to House Bill 418, and today the Senate did the same by a vote of 44 to 5.
The bill will now go back to Governor Schweitzer in its original form. Read More
Study of ND horse slaughterhouse approved
Apr 16 2009 10:02AM
Associated PressEds
Bismarck, N.D. (AP) North Dakota lawmakers have agreed to spend $50,000 on a study of whether a horse slaughterhouse can be built in the state.
The bill says North Dakota's Commerce Department should study whether legal and regulatory barriers now prevent construction of a horse slaughter plant.
If the project can be done, the study would look into how much a plant would cost and potential markets for its meat.North Dakota's House voted 86-5 on Thursday to approve the study. The bill now goes to Gov. John Hoeven. Link
Both Montana and North Dakota keep moving closer to the possibility of having a horse processing facility in their state. Many states have been trying to deal with this issue since the beginning of the year. Unwanted horses continue to be a problem for communities and states that don’t have the resources to handle them. Hopefully, instead of wasting this natural resource we can once again begin to use it.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Montana's Proposed Horse Processing Facility
Emotions rear up for horse-slaughter bill
By JOHN S. ADAMS Tribune Capitol Bureau • March 13, 2009
HELENA — Emotions ran high during a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Thursday as lawmakers heard a bill that would allow the construction of a horse slaughter facility in Montana.
Proponents of House Bill 418, sponsored by Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, said the bill would help satisfy a nationwide need for disposing of unwanted horses, while producing dozens of jobs in Montana.
Butcher said the last equine slaughterhouse in the nation closed in 2007, leaving horse owners with few options for disposing of sick, injured and unwanted horses.
"People tried, with good intentions, to ban horse processing in the hopes of saving the animal," said bill proponent Kelly Ann Terry. "This plan has backfired, and what was initially a grand theory has now put much of the horse population in greater jeopardy than it has ever been before." Read More
The Montana Legislature continues working on a bill that would build a horse processing facility. It has overwhelmingly passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate. If built, it would be the only such facility in the United States. When owners are being forced to choose between feeding their families or feeding their horses, a humane option like this would be a welcome relief. This is a resource that would be a shame to waste.
By JOHN S. ADAMS Tribune Capitol Bureau • March 13, 2009
HELENA — Emotions ran high during a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Thursday as lawmakers heard a bill that would allow the construction of a horse slaughter facility in Montana.
Proponents of House Bill 418, sponsored by Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, said the bill would help satisfy a nationwide need for disposing of unwanted horses, while producing dozens of jobs in Montana.
Butcher said the last equine slaughterhouse in the nation closed in 2007, leaving horse owners with few options for disposing of sick, injured and unwanted horses.
"People tried, with good intentions, to ban horse processing in the hopes of saving the animal," said bill proponent Kelly Ann Terry. "This plan has backfired, and what was initially a grand theory has now put much of the horse population in greater jeopardy than it has ever been before." Read More
The Montana Legislature continues working on a bill that would build a horse processing facility. It has overwhelmingly passed the House and is now being considered in the Senate. If built, it would be the only such facility in the United States. When owners are being forced to choose between feeding their families or feeding their horses, a humane option like this would be a welcome relief. This is a resource that would be a shame to waste.
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